Nara Day Trip from Kyoto: Customized Tour — Guide Yuka

Title: What Is a Private Nara Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report on Nara Park, Todaiji, and Naramachi

The guests wished to have local specialties for lunch, so I introduced kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi), and they were eager to try it. Because I was concerned about the weather worsening, I had originally planned to visit the main sights of Nara Park and Todaiji first, then Kasuga Taisha, followed by a late lunch. However, the guests had not had breakfast and preferred an early lunch. To avoid the crowds, we decided to head to the restaurant around its 11:30 opening time. We arrived about ten minutes later than planned, and the restaurant was nearly full; we managed to get the very last seat without having to wait, which pleased the guests. They also said the food was very delicious and were very satisfied, telling me, "Thank you for bringing us to this restaurant. We could never have come here on our own."

The guests purchased rice bowls and tea cups in Naramachi and enjoyed the traditional Japanese houses there. Just as we were about to head to Kasuga Taisha, it began to pour heavily. Thinking that if we were going to walk anyway, I would rather take the guests somewhere with more impact, I talked about Fushimi Inari Taisha, and we decided to head there. However, after boarding the JR line, the train stopped due to the heavy rain. We transferred to the Kintetsu line along the way, but since one of the guests began to feel chilled, we decided to return to the hotel. I wondered whether it would have been better to go to Kasuga Taisha rather than suggesting Fushimi Inari Taisha, but the guests reassured me instead, saying that neither the rain nor the stopped train was my fault. I paid the utmost attention to preventing anyone from catching a cold, offering my jacket and buying warm drinks from a vending machine. When we parted, one of the guests told me with a smile, "Today was a truly wonderful day," which was a relief. Afterward, the guests even sent me videos of my guiding and a message saying they had a great time.

Click here for more details: Nara Day Trip from Kyoto: Customized Tour, Licensed Guide

Tour Report by YUKA

Hi! My name is YUKA. I’ve got the government license in 2018 and joined a half year traning to do the guide. But a half year later I started my carreer, Covid came. I should have given up guiding. During the Covid, I’ve read many books and made my own materials to explain Japanese culture, history, etc. I love guiding because the guests expand my horizon all the time and let me know their own country and culture, etc. It is really important for us all to know each other and respect each other to make this world peace. Thank you for coming to Japan! Let’s enjoy Japan together!